Another strike from Sophie Coates after the hour mark followed by impressive goals from Gracie Smith and Katie King made it two home wins from two over Atherton after August’s league win.
There was a lot of expectation heading into the game with Dale looking to bounce back from defeat last time out against Mossley Hill and Atherton into the game on a three-match winning streak.
Dale got the ball moving in the first half and created an early opportunity to take the lead inside the opening minutes. Efforts from Coates and Daisy Mason were easily saved by Atherton’s goalkeeper.
The game became cagey with both sides creating only half opportunities to find the opening goal however, both sides lacked the quality in the final third to put the ball away.
Dale’s number five Nicole Malpus made a brilliant sliding challenge that denied Niamh Fogarty inside the penalty area when the former Dale attacker was about to let fly.
Dale were forced into a substitution early in the game with Mason replaced by Gracie Lawler due to an ankle injury.
Lawler came onto the pitch and had an instant impact, she came agonisingly close to making it one nil to Dale but her effort from an acute angle crashed off the crossbar.
Atherton hit back with attempts from Fogarty and Shannon Gill, which were saved by goalkeeper Leah Jackson as the game headed into the interval goalless.
Rovers created two well worked patterns of play to take the lead, however, Jackson was there to make two fantastic saves to keep it all square.
In the 65th minute of the game, Dale’s number nine got herself on the score sheet. Coates with a composed finish into the bottom left, giving the ‘keeper no chance of stopping it and she finds herself now on thirty goals for the season.
Five minutes later Dale were in the ascendency, and one quickly became two.
Smith netting a wonderful goal that flew into the top right of the goal to extend the lead, a first time shot, hit with the outside of her right boot for her third of the campaign.
Dale could have easily been three up but Coates missed a golden opportunity to add to the scoreline and secure a place in the fourth round.
Atherton then pulled a goal back through former attacker Gill, who found herself in space, slotting the ball into the back of the net, making it 2-1.
With the game reaching its conclusion, Dale were managing the game terrifically by keeping hold of possession and limiting Atherton from gaining an equaliser.
Dale’s Katie King, who returned into the squad this weekend, unleashed a speculative effort from miles out and found the target. The long-range effort fooled everyone around her, especially the ‘keeper as the ball sailed past her head and into the back of the net.
It meant Dale were safely through into the next round where we will head to FC St Helens in mid-January.
Gaffer Lee Atkinson spoke after the game on how impressive and vital the commitment levels were.
“It wa a really good second half from us and we were well deserved winners.
“We said the first fifteen, twenty minutes were going to be very tough and that was the case.
“I think we did amazingly to make sure we didn’t go a goal down and we made sure we had to come out with one hundred percentage effort from the get-go.”
He was also asked about the two wonder goals today from King and Smith.
“These are things they do in training, and we see this week in week out and they want to keep expressing themselves out there.”
“But they were both amazing goals today and proved enough to get the job done today.”
Lee also spoke on how progressing into the next round means a lot for the club.
“I’m really happy and I want to try take this club as far as we can.
“Cup competitions are important to me and the players, and we want to get our hands on a piece of silverware this season,whether it’s through the league or through the cups.”
Dale XI | Jackson, Strudwick (c), Malpus, Whyte, Smith, Coates, Barnett, Duckworth, King, Mason, Southworth
Subs | Burke, Williams, Cocking, Lawler
